A beautiful rainbow crinoline from Pettiskirt Style, my blue birthday dress, and the remains of an Edwardian hotel

Outfit details

Blue hair flower: Arden
Faux pearl bow barrette: Dollar store
Gold toned hoop earrings: Claire's
Pearl necklace: Birthday gift from Tony ♥
1980s does 1950s blue dress: eBay
Dusty aqua knit shrug: Walmart
Rainbow crinoline: Pettiskirt Style
C. 1950s white gloves with floral embroidery: eBay
Vintage grey handbag: etsy seller Running Rabbit Studio
Nude seemed stockings: eBay
White pumps: Payless
Lip colour: Clinique Raspberry Glace


Photography by Antonio Cangiano










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Without the tiniest whisper of a doubt, one of my very favourite undergarments is the trusty, beautiful crinoline (as long time readers may recall from various posts over the years, including this one back in 2010). Though I don't wear them every day, they're a tried and true love of mine that appear in various outfits throughout the year (such as this Canada Day ensemble and this festive pumpkin picking outfit from last October).

Interestingly, I find I reach for my modest sized collection of crinolines most frequently during the summer and winter months.

When the sun is out in full, blazing force, they had an especially feminine, at times even subtly whimsical flounce and sense of even greater airiness to sundresses and wide, breezy skirts. Come the bone chilling days of late autumn and into the winter, they provide a stellar layer of insulation against freezing cold winds (opaque tights, a crinoline, and a circle skirt, plus warm layers on top, is one of my most commonly reached for winter looks). No matter the season though, I adore crinolines and am always eager to both add more to my wardrobe and weave those that I have into new outfits.

A number of my crinolines (including those in the posts referenced above) hail from online crinoline retailer Pettiskirt Style. I discovered this site about three years ago and have been a steadfastly devoted fan ever since (Pettiskirt Style also has a great Facebook page that's bursting with photos of their products).

Not only do they provide an extensive array of different crinoline (aka, pettiskirt) styles, colours, and lengths (including a good many that work wonders for vintage looks), but their offerings are well photographed (this is a key point for me with any online clothing retailer), reasonably priced, and able to be shipped to Canada (and most other countries around the world - for more details, see their shipping policies page).

I was over-the-moon excited then, having already shopped with them before and been 100% satisfied with my purchases, when a lovely member of the Pettiskirt Style staff contacted me a little earlier this year to know if I'd be interested in receiving a complimentary crinoline (of my choosing) to wear and review here on my blog.

The idea of a multi-coloured rainbow crinoline is something that had appealed to me ever since I was a little girl, so when I saw that Pettiskirt Style had recently introduced one (actually, two - they have both a bright crinoline, pictured below, and a pastel rainbow coloured one in stock), I knew that was the lovely new tulle beauty that was destined to be mine.

More voluminous than any other crinoline (be it from Pettiskirt Style or elsewhere, vintage or modern) that I own, the Rainbow Bright Primary Colors Crinoline is a true delight to behold and wear. It's poufy, stable, comfortable, and warm (but certainly not stiflingly so - it was nearly +30C the day we took these photos and I didn't feel like I was overheating in the slightest), as well as being a true show stopper of a piece.

A majestic crinoline like this calls for a full skirted dress (or circle skirt) and plenty of 1950s inspired styling. To that end, I opted to wear it with the wonderful 1950s does 1980s Cerulean blue dress that I bought as my birthday present to myself this year and have been eager to debut here ever since I blogged about it (in this post).

The dress and the rainbow crinoline were definitely the stars of the shows, so I kept my accessories on the more understated side - a pair of white elbow length vintage gloves with delicate floral embroidery, dusty aqua hued knit shrug, matching blue hair flower, my beloved strand of pearls, small gold toned hoop earrings, vintage grey handbag, stockings, and classic white pumps.

For such a fun and dramatic outfit, an extra special location was in order, and we found ours that day in the stone shell foundational remains of the historic 1912 hotel in the neighbouring community of Kaleden. For as long as I've been coming to, and living in, the Okanagan, this hotel has been a ghost of its former self, instead of a functioning inn, but thankfully what remains has been well preserved and now stands as one of the oldest - at 103 years of age (despite it's name, it was actually built in 1910 and opened the following year) - partial structures in the Southern Okanagan.

From the warm, late summer sunshine to the Edwardian stone backdrop to the gloriously lovely crinoline I was sporting, this shoot, day and outfit were a total joy, and I know that I shall be slipping into this crinoline again many more times over the years - especially when an abundance of volume is called for underneath my skirt.

I have - and I am completely unbiased when I say this - nothing but the very best to say about Pettiskirt Style's beautiful crinolines. I've shopped from them before, was thrilled to receive this awesome rainbow crinoline as a review gift (thank you so very much, dear Pettiskirt Style team), and have no doubt that I will likely order from them again in the future.

Their line is constantly expanding, they have such a great selection, their products jive terrifically with my vintage style, and they fulfilled my adolescent dream of rainbow pettiskirt - what's not to adore?

If you're in the mood to do some crinoline shopping of your own, I am delighted to share a wonderful coupon code that with you today that will allow readers from around the world to save a substantial 20% off on your entire order from Pettiskirt Style until October 30, 2013. Just use Jessica20 when you check out and the discount will automatically be applied to your purchase.

Happy crinoline shopping and wearing, my dears!

   

12 of my top vintage fashion wish list items

Hard as it may be to believe some days, we're more than half way through the year at this point. I don't know about you, but it sure does feel like it's been a busy, sometimes tumultuous, sometimes wonderful, frequently action packed first half of 2013 with more than its fair share of twists and turns too. It's not what I expected it would be in some regards, though to be perfectly honest, unlike last year, I didn't kick this one off with too many specific long terms plans in the works, so it's been both fun and fascinating to watch how it's unfolded thus far.

Every now and then, I'd say one to three times a year, I like to take serious stock of my wardrobe as well as my short and long-term fashion related purchasing goals (a topic we last delved into early last January in Thoughts on my wardrobe for the year ahead). By doing so, I often spot areas where I need to focus my attention more, can cross things off my shopping list that I've purchased in recent months, and revamp my vintage clothing and accessory wish list as needed.

It was on the latter that I was focusing last night, so I thought it would be fun to share some of the items that are on this list with all of you. This is not the list in full (that would probably fill a hefty sized book at this point!), but instead a selection of twelve of the items that are currently coming out near the top and which I hope, at some point in time (be it throughout the second half of 2013 or beyond) to add to my closet.

Back in February, I wrote about Ten investment worthy vintage wardrobe items, some of which I already own, others that I hope to welcome into my closet in the future. A few things on there (such as an awesome 1940s pinafore dress) are definitely wish list entries for me (as is this fabulous Canadiana themed vintage bathing suit), but there several that I haven't chatted too much about here over the years, and it's a selection of these that we're going to be focusing on today.

Come along with me, won't you, as we take a gander at some of the vintage wardrobe items that have been filling my daydreams for ages, and which continue - for whatever reason (price, sizing, rarity, etc) to elude me. Most stop, to my mind, shy of being "holy grail" items (aka, an original Dior Bar Suit) that may never happen (even if I had a millionaire's bank roll) though, and are, at least in theory pieces that I should eventually be able to find in my size and budget eventually.

{1940s or 50s prom dress}

{The more layers of tulle and or lace the better! I've seen scores of great vintage prom dresses over the years, but most have been for those with super slender waists (oh, you lucky gals who can fit into a 24" waist!) and of those that were the right size, I've either been outbid or unable to wrap my head around their sky high prices enough to purchase one. I keep hoping the thrift store gods will here my plea and lead me to find one in my size for a total song one of these days.}


 

{Italian themed novelty print circle skirt}

{While I certainly wouldn't say no to any vintage hand painted or printed Mexican, or novelty print, circle skirt that worked for me, I would especially love to find an Italian/Mediterranean themed one, of which I've seen a few here and there over the years, in honour of Tony, who was born and raised in Italy.}

{1930s, 40s or 50s winter boots}

{Hailing from Canada, a land famous the world over for its snow, it's high time I finally hat a pair of genuine (or very authentic looking repro like the gorgeous Miss L Fire pair pictured above) mid-century winter boots (if only they were easier to find in a medium to wide width modern size 8/8.5!). All the better if they happen to be fur trimmed (real or faux), a look that I just adore.}


 

{Vintage or repro high-waisted trousers}

{This is one of those items where fit has kept me from finding my dream pair time and time again (I'm both short in terms of height and relatively short waisted with lots of curves). While I've had great success with my Freddies of Pinewood Jeans, when it comes to trousers made out of fabrics other than denim, I've had rotten luck finding a pair that fit even remotely well, and have ended up selling or giving away those that I have bought over the years. The quest continues though - even if I have to commission someone to tailor make a pair for me!}


 

{Carved floral bangle bracelet}

{There are some breath-takingly lovely 1930s/40s carved floral bangles (often made from Bakelite or celluloid) to be had, and it is precisely that which I'm hoping to add to my bracelet collection a whole lot sooner than later.}

 

{Quilted 1950s dress}

{Having lucked out found one of my previous wish list items – a classic 1950s quilted circle skirt - for a steal of a deal the winter before last, I’ve been on the prowl ever since for a quilted dress from the same era ever since.}

 

{Equestrian/top hat inspired tilt hat}

{It's scarcely a secret that I adore vintage tilt hats of all kinds, but did you know that I've been hankering for an equestrian/Victorian top hat inspired one for as long as I can recall? And on the subject of wish list top hats, I certainly wouldn't say no to one adorned with dramatic bird wings or whole millinery birds either.}

 

{Black Bettie Page Clothing circle skirt jumper}

{Have you ever had one of those times when, after swooning over (and/or saving up for) an item for weeks or even months, you're finally in a position to buy it at long last only to discover it's no longer (or at least not currently) available?

That is precisely what happened to me with this terrific black circle skirt jumper from Bettie Page Clothing. I'd been pining after it for months, went to purchase it from their site mid way through the spring, and they were sold out of my size and the next one up. I've tried looking for it elsewhere online from a North American source, but no one seemed to have the black jumper in stock any more, so for now I'll just hold tight and cross my fingers in the hope that they'll restock it again in my size.}


 

{Elegant 1930s or 40s cape with a hood}

{I absolutely, flat out adore vintage jackets, coats (especially opera coats), cloaks and capes with hoods, yet own nary a one. I'd happily pounce on any of these hooded outerwear options in a heartbeat, but would be especially tickled pink if I could find a vintage hooded cape - ideally in a fabric other than wool, which I'm allergic to - for when the chilly weather returns.}


 

{Western wear suit}

{Though you might not know this about me, I've always had an inner cowgirl and love of Western culture and history. In honour of this fact, it would be a dream come true one to own an authentic vintage western suit (dress, skirt or pants and jacket), and in turn to then head on out to Alberta one July and wear it for a day spent at the Calgary Stampede.}


 

{Classic brown loafers}

{Of all the items on these list, these certainly seem like they'd be one of the easiest to find, and generally speaking, they certainly are. However, as you may have heard me mention in past posts, I have rather hard to fit feet, and have yet to find a pair of classic brown loafers that fit me well. Hopefully this will be the year I finally do!}


 

{1950s style fitted blouse from Big Beautiful Barbara Brown}

{This incredibly charming 1950s inspired blouse from UK vintage reproduction clothing seller is me and my feminine style to an absolute tee. I just wish the exchange rate between Canadian dollars and UK pounds was friendlier (that's the only thing stopping me from ordering it right now!).}


{To learn more about a specific item shown here, including pricing and sizing where applicable, please click on a photo to be taken to its respective link.} 

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As I started putting together this list, it struck me that twelve would be a good number of entries because there are twelve months in the year. I highly doubt all of these items will find their merry way into my dresser drawers and closet racks by June 2014, but in the spirit of wish lists everywhere, it never hurts to hope and continue to daydream.

In just about every case, I'd seen and bid on at least one such item that would have fit the bill perfectly. For some pieces, it's almost become a personal running joke how I've often been outbid (or had some one else purchase an item that was on my etsy wish list before I was able to do so myself) time and time again on them. No matter though, I'm not one to be easily deterred (even by last minute eBay snipers!) - plus, a part of me genuinely adore the hunt, so I'll remain on the prowl for each and every one of these pieces until, all things willing, I find them.

If one was going to try and score these twelve pieces in the following year, that would mean six of them could potentially be mine before this year is up! What a marvelous thought! Though I'm doubtful such will prove to be the case there's no harm in imaging such at all - not to mention looking for, and jumping on, any potential opportunities do so just that which might come my way in the second half of 2013.

I'll be sure to keep you posted down the road of how fruitful (or not) July right on through to the last day of December proves to be on the vintage wardrobe wish list front, and really hope that by this time next year, at least a couple of these beauties will have found their way into my life and closet.